Main Street Plans on having a (beach) ball

For the past several years, larger and larger crowds have gathered at the New Year's Eve on Main Street party in downtown Daytona Beach to watch a glowing ball descend from above.

LACEY MCLAUGHLINSTAFF WRITER

Sarasota has a pineapple. For Key West it's a conch shell. In Miami, a giant orange is dropped when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. And now Daytona Beach is joining the ranks of these Florida destinations by dropping something that represents this area: a glowing beach ball. For the past several years, larger and larger crowds have gathered at the New Year's Eve on Main Street party in downtown Daytona Beach to watch a glowing ball descend from above. Because this year's celebration is part of Holidays at Daytona Beach, a series of events aimed to draw tourists to the area, a beach ball fits well with that theme, said event producer Al Smith. The Main Street Merchants Association hired Tony Visconti of AAAA Productions, an audio/lighting company in Lake County, to design the 150-pound beach ball that will drop 30 feet at the corner of Wild Olive Avenue and Main Street. "We are going to have a beach ball this year," Smith said. "We're trying to make the event bigger and better every year." The association and sponsors helped pay for the beach ball, which costs "several thousand dollars," according to Smith.The eighth annual event will transform Main Street into a block party with outdoor stages, deejays, live music, food and activities. The event is expected to bring about 20,000 people to Main Street, Smith said. "Other than the two bike events each year this is the largest thing done on Main Street," he added. Police will be out in full force to keep the party safe, said Chief Mike Chitwood. "We are going to have operations going on throughout the city," he said. "If there are knuckleheads who are going to ring in the New Year by firing guns, we're going to get them." The party on Main Street between Peninsula Drive and Atlantic Avenue begins at 5 p.m. tonight and ends at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Families with children will find street performers, a kids zone and face painting. Food vendors will also be on site. "Everyone should come out for the fun on Main Street," Chitwood said. "Be careful, though, because it's amateur night. Don't make yourself a victim and don't get arrested. It's a bad way to start the New Year." Main Street venues such as Dirty Harry's, Cruisin' Cafe and Full Moon Saloon will feature live music and not require a cover charge. The band Bullet Theory will play on an outdoor stage at Full Moon Saloon. Parking on the street will be available as well as the lot at the Ocean Center, 101 N. Atlantic Ave. The county's public transportation system, Votran, will waive its trolley and night service fares starting at 7 p.m. Monday and run until 1 a.m. Tuesday. The trolleys will make stops on Atlantic Avenue from Granada Boulevard in Ormond Beach, to Dunlawton Avenue in Port Orange, and International Speedway Boulevard in downtown Daytona Beach. But Main Street isn't the only New Year's Eve celebration happening in Volusia and Flagler counties. Other celebrations include the African American Cultural Society's Gold Gala, starting at 8 p.m. Monday at the African American Cultural Center, 4422 U.S. 1, Palm Coast. For more information, call 386-447-7030. A Latin-themed New Year's Eve party will take place at the Clarion Hotel, 350 E. International Speedway Blvd., in DeLand, starting at 8 p.m. Monday. For more information, call 386-738-5200. -- Staff Writer Julie Murphy contributed to this report.

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